P.5-M bounty set on head of trader’s killer

DAVAO CITY: A P500,000 reward is being raised in exchange for any information leading to the capture of the killer of Chinese-Filipino businessman Richard King on Thursday here.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has led the hunt for the killers of King, whose family owns Crown Regency Group of Hotels and manufactures Vital C, a health supplement. Duterte met with the family of King Friday night in a hotel in Davao City.

“Every incident of violent killing means a breakdown of law and order. If someone dies here, that’s the responsibility of the government,” Duterte told journalists.

Of the reward money, P200,000 was offered by King’s family. The remaining P300,000 will be raised by Duterte.

The 56-year old King was killed inside the Vital C center in Barangay Obrero here. He was attacked while talking to some distributors and consultants over dinner.

Witnesses said the gunman casually joined the gathering and positioned himself close to the victim.

The gunman shot the victim pointblank in the head. After the attack, the man even pa–nicked and tripped as he ran outside the building to a waiting motorcycle driven by another man wearing a helmet.

The chief of the Sta. Ana Police, Supt. Royina Garma, said authorities have made an artist’s sketch of the gunman.